More volunteers join forces with the council to tackle thoughtless dog owners

10 March 2016

Pupils and staff at Parklands Community Primary School in Ellesmere Port have helped Cheshire West and Chester Council tackle thoughtless dog owners by organising a ‘Pink Poo’ initiative around their school.

Pupils and staff who travel via the school’s walking bus have worked with the Council’s Locality Officers to highlight the problem of dog fouling.

On the route officers used chalk-based pink spray paint to highlight the problem to let offenders know that someone is watching. The Council’s Streetscene Team then moved in quickly to clean up the mess. This initiative had the added benefit of clearly pinpointing the unwanted deposits to passers-by.

Research by Keep Britain Tidy has shown that dog walkers are more responsible and pick up after their dogs, when they think that they are being watched.

A Pink Poo Toolkit is also available on-line on the council’s website to help other communities run their own campaigns.

Councillor Mark Henesy, Cabinet Member for Community and Environment, said: “It’s wonderful that the pupils and staff at Parklands have got involved. It’s so good to see that people are joining forces with the Council to tackle thoughtless dog owners.

“However, it’s disappointing that a small number of thoughtless dog owners are still failing to pick up after their dog which is both unacceptable and irresponsible behaviour. Residents around the school are saying enough is enough and will report you.

“Good dog owners always pick up after their pet and anyone caught letting their dog foul can face a fine of £75. The message is simple - bag it and bin it – any rubbish bin will do.”

Ros Flanders, Headteacher at Parklands Community Primary School, said: “The school’s walking bus collects between 40 and 50 children from the local area to walk to school every morning. Aside from being most unpleasant, dog fouling raises health and safety issues for children using this facility.

“In the past, staff regularly needed to navigate children around dog faeces to ensure that children arrive at school safely. I am pleased that action is being taken to address this issue to ensure that children can enjoy and play in their local area without facing additional risks and hazards.”

If you would like to organise a ‘Pink Poo’ campaign in your area, you can find out more on the council website by searching ‘Pink Poo” which gives information about the toolkit or email PinkPoo@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.

To report dog fouling use the on-line form on the Council website (search ‘dog fouling’), or call 0300 123 7026 with as much information as possible.

Last year the Council’s Good Dog Ownership campaign raised awareness through community engagement; a clampdown on thoughtless dog owners has continued through enforcement.

Videos about the campaign, and the Pink Poo initiative, can be found on the Council’s You Tube channel – search for Good Dog Ownership or Pink Poo.

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